Camelia’s eyes widened, noting the confident tilt of the woman’s head, the way her words seemed to wrap around the man like a spell. Moments later, the woman led him to a waiting carriage, her laughter trailing as they climbed inside and the door snapped shut.
Camelia swallowed hard, her palms clammy.
I’ve been waiting for you.
The phrase echoed in her mind, a script she might need to learn.
She pressed herself against the damp brick wall, steadying her nerves until she could no longer stand still. She began to pace as regret curled into her gut.
I cannot do this.
She turned to escape the alley and its frightening opportunities, but stopped short when she spotted a figure looming ahead, half-hidden in the shadows. It was undoubtedly a man.
The figure stood tall and broad-shouldered, but his face remained obscured by the shadows.
Despite every instinct, Camelia ran towards him, her voice breaking as she blurted, “My lord, I… I am for sale!”
CHAPTER 3
The man turned sharply at the sound of her voice, his eyes catching what little light the street offered. He stepped forward, and Camelia froze as he came beneath the lamppost.
He was tall and undeniably handsome, strikingly so. With raven-dark hair that framed a strong, sharp jaw and dark eyes fixed on her with such intensity that heat rushed to her skin.
This was not at all the kind of man she had expected to encounter in the shadows.
“I… I am for sale,” she repeated after clearing her throat.
I must do this quickly, before I lose my nerve.
His gaze swept over her silhouette in unbroken silence, and a shiver coursed through her beneath the weight of his stare.Fingers trembling, she drew her cloak tighter around herself, as though its folds could shield her from the force of his scrutiny.
“Please, I need… I’ll do whatever you ask.”
The stranger’s brow furrowed as he continued to study her carefully. Camelia’s throat constricted.
I am humiliating myself. Better to run now than endure another heartbeat beneath his scrutiny.
Yet she remained rooted to the spot, uncertain if it was duty to her family that held her fast or the allure of the stranger’s gaze.
“I… I am offering myself.” Her cheeks burned with shame, but she remained composed.
He approached her slowly and deliberately.. Fear gripped her heart, but she ignored it. Even as the lamplight revealed more of his face, he remained unreadable, though she noticed the faint crease between his eyebrows.
Why is he so silent?Does he think I’m jesting?
The handsome stranger met her gaze, and she grew hopeful until he held up a hand.
“Are you listening to me?” she asked before he could reject her.
She hadn’t realized how close he was standing. His lean body towered over her, tall and commanding. Her breath caught as she peered up at him, and there she saw an unmistakable fire in his dark eyes.
Perhaps this is a mistake…
“Are you lost?” His husky voice caressed her skin, sending a thrilling shiver through her core.
What is this sensation?
Camelia immediately stilled when she heard his husky voice. She felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach and mistook it for nerves.
